After Tempted
by MuffyLooWho
Summary: My idea of how the story should start after Tempted. Zoey faces an Ordeal in the Otherworld and comes back forever changed. She confronts Kalona, but not as her friend's expected. When the choice comes between him and them, which way will she choose?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I didn't put the stupid disclaimer up so here it is... I own nothing except myself and sometimes I'm not even sure about that.**

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It was a strange sensation, like floating. But there was nothing there to float. It was like not existing, and yet, existing. I was a contradiction. I didn't mind, though. It was nice. Comfortable. Then I saw a light to the side. I wondered what it was.

Before the thought even finished, I was there at the light, looking into it at two different scenes. Both seemed to center around a pretty teenage girl with light skin and dark hair. She appeared to be unconscious. I watched curiously, waiting to see what happened.

In one scene, the girl was being held by a handsome young man with red tattoos on his face. He was surrounded by a group of teenagers and another young man with blue tattoos on his face. Most of the teenagers, including the unconscious girl, had a blue crescent moon on their foreheads. The one with the red marks appeared to be crying, the others apparently trying to comfort him while themselves crying.

Intrigued, (something seemed to say "Whoa, big word.") I focused in on the other scene. Again, the girl was being held by a young man, this one unmarked. The crescent moon wasn't on her forehead, but something told me the girl was the same one from the other scene. She had an aura about her, something that spoke of great things to come. The young man holding her looked profoundly sad, as if he was aware of something he wished he wasn't. He was calm though. Watching him, I got the sense that he was waiting for someone.

_ZOEY_

The word came out of nowhere, not loud, but surrounding me all the same. It held no meaning to me, and I wondered what it was, why I had heard it.

_ZOEY REDBIRD_

This time the word seemed to come from behind me. Instantly I was looking that direction, and I saw what looked like a huge diamond. Light shone from within it, flashing colors all around me. I was drawn to it, mesmerized (wow, another big word!) by the sparks of color and light.

_YOU HAVE DONE WELL, ZOEY. BUT YOU'RE NOT DONE YET. YOU HAVE LESSONS YET TO LEARN._

Something began to twitch at the edge of my conscious, as if a sort of recognition was trying to come through.

_GO BACK TO YOUR CONSORT, ZOEY. THE JOURNEY YOU WILL TAKE WITH HIM WILL PROVIDE YOU THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO SUCCEED._

The twitching was getting worse, and I had the feeling of drifting away somewhere.

_RECLAIM YOUR SOUL. CLAIM YOUR REWARD. _

I was drifting farther now, faster. The diamond began to fade.

_REMEMBER, ZOEY REDBIRD._

I woke up.

Heath

Heath could feel when Zoey came back, and he sighed. He'd hoped that somehow he'd been wrong. That he wouldn't have to put her through this.

He knew a lot more now than he had when he'd been alive. He supposed it came with death, this knowledge and understanding. Zoey wasn't dead, though. She wasn't supposed to be here. He thought he'd be able to send her back. But bigger plans came first, and here, in this place, Heath would have to play the role of teacher and guide. Zoey would go back, but it would be on terms not his own.

Her eyes opened, and she looked up at him, confusion in her eyes.

"Hey, babe," he said. "Looks like you and I have a long journey ahead of us."

"Who are you," she asked.

"I'm your guide."

Stark

"How long has he been sitting there?" Stark heard Damien ask someone behind him. He didn't care who it was. He kept his eyes on the body in front of him. It may look like her, but it wasn't Zoey. He didn't know who it was. He didn't care. He didn't care about a lot of things now. He simply wanted Zoey back.

"A Warrior losing their Priestess is a very hard thing. A part of him is lost as well."

"It's double hard on Stark because he loved her."

_Loves, _Stark thought. _He loves her. I love her._

"Just let him alone. He'll come out when he's ready."

_I'll never be ready. I failed her. I failed her because of my stupid jealousy. I left her alone. How could I have left her alone, especially at a time like this?_

He became aware of something standing beside him. He ignored it, whatever it was, until it said his name.

_JAMES_

The voice was male, with power behind it. As if compelled, Stark felt himself turning to look at the speaker.

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_I know it's short, but ti was a spur of the moment story. If you like it and/or have story ideas, please review. Otherwise I'll won't write any after this._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As always, my tedious ownership of reality is beginning to waver. My ownership of everything else is non-existent.**

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The wings were gold. Somewhere in the back of Stark's mind, that thought registered. Unfortunately, it didn't make itself known to the rest of Stark's brain until after he attacked.

"You _bastard_!" He struck out with everything he had, wanting to cause this being more pain and agony than anything known before. Kalona had, in effect, killed his priestess. And Stark would avenge her or die in the process. However, he soon found himself flat on his back with a bow holding him down at the throat. That's when his brain finally caught up with the info: gold, not black.

Erebus. Nyx's Warrior and Consort. And Stark had just attacked him. _Damn_.

_JAMES STARK. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. BUT DO NOT DESPAIR. HOPE IS STILL ABUNDANT._

"I don't see how," Stark said simply. "I failed my Priestess. And not even with good reason. I had a tantrum like a child and left her alone. Where is there any hope left in that?"

_YOU ARE YOUNG. YOU AREN'T A GOD. YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES._

"I shouldn't have made that one."

_SO LEARN FROM IT. ALLOW YOURSELF TO HEAL. YOU WILL NEED TO BE STRONG FOR YOUR PRIESTESS WHEN SHE RETURNS. SHE WILL RELY ON YOU EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE. _

"When she returns? You mean Zoey will be OK? What about her marks? wait, where is she now?"

_GUARD THIS SHELL FORM WELL, MY SON. I FEAR OTHERS MAY TRY TO USE IT FOR THEIR OWN MEANS._

"But where is Zoey? Is she going to be OK?"

_I CANNOT TELL YOU WHERE SHE IS, AND HER WELL-BEING IS ENTIRELY UP TO HER. SHE TRAVELS IN MYSTERIES ONLY FEW IN THIS PLANE HAVE. THE COMING TIMES WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR ALL._

And he was gone. Stark still lay on the floor staring at the space that had held the huge, winged form. _Guard her well_, Stark thought. _She travels in mysteries_. He read all types of books. He knew the myths and legends well. That struck a chord inis memory. He slowly rose back to his chair, his eyes locked on the body in front of him. Not really seeing it. Stark began remembering the stories of Inanna, Woden, even Orpheus.  
And a small smile began to form.

ZOEY

"Where am I?" So many things were flashing through her mind, half formed thoughts and images, non-sequitors out of which she couldn't make sense.

"You're in the Otherworld, sweetie." His voice was sweet and warm. Something flashed, a sense of recognition, but it was buried under the rest of the stampede within her.

"The Otherworld? Does that mean I'm dead?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid. You have a journey to take, and not a lot of time to take it. It's going to be difficult, babe. I'm sorry about that." He put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed once before standing up, pulling her up with him.

"There's a lot of people counting on you to set things right. You're going to have to call on yourself to pull through. Explore depths inside yourself you probably didn't even know were there."

"Inside myself? But I don't even know…." Zoey stopped suddenly as a memory came crashing to the forefront. "Zoey Redbird. It said Zoey Redbird. That's who I am!" She happily turned to look at her guide. "I remembered!"

He smiled at her. "Good going, babe. I knew you would get the hang of this." He took her hand and led her to the lake. "You need to prepare. Bathe yourself here and be ready to start your quest."

"Wait, bathe? Here?"

"Yeah, babe. Or did you not notice you're covered in grass and dirt?" Zoey looked down at herself and noticed that, indeed, she was smeared with grass stains and mud. "What about my clothes," she asked, surveying the damage.

"Ummmm… you won't need clothes."

"_What_?" She shrieked. He just stood there, looking at her a bit sheepishly, but with a familiar glint in his eye. Familiar…

"Heath Luck, I swear to Nyx if you're simply trying to see me naked…" He smiled then, a truly beautiful smile and it stopped her tirade. "What now?"

"You remembered my name. You remembered me. You're going to come through this with flying colors."

"I still don't know what I've got to do. And my head is still going too fast for me to keep up."

"I can't explain, babe. I'm sorry, but part of the whole deal is your figuring it out on your own. I'm simply here to push the progress along."

Zoey thought about this, then decided she didn't want to add more thoughts to the chaos already within. She sighed, and began to undress. "You'd better not watch," she warned Heath. Chuckling, he turned and went to a dock at a small bend in the lake.

"I'll be just over here if you need me," he called back. She watched warily, but realized that even if he did turn around he wouldn't be able to see her. Quickly, she pulled off the rest of her clothing and stepped into the lake. The water was surprisingly warm, just the right temperature to relax and revive. Zoey moaned in pleasure as the water swirled around her.

"What have you done now?" The voice was like a cold whiplash, pulling her out of her relaxed state. She looked up to see a woman standing on the bank. She looked down at Zoey in the water with a hardness in her eyes.

"I haven't done anything," Zoey replied, the words seeming to come automatically from her lips. "It's not my fault."

"What is your father going to say? What are we going to tell everyone?" She looked at Zoey with disappointment and panic. "Get up, get out of there and dress yourself." She held up an outfit that was horribly outdated and old-fashioned. Zoey shook her head as recognition of the woman erupted through her.

"No, Mom. I don't want to get out. I'm fine in here. And I'm _certainly_ not wearing _that_." She pointed to the outfit her mother held with disgust.

"Your father picked this out for you. Quit being selfish and difficult. Why can't you see what he's done for us? Why can't you be more appreciative of his efforts?"

"What efforts?" Zoey dimly realized the water's temperature dropping slowly, but the low anger burning through her counteracted the chill. "All he has ever tried to do is change who I am and drive a wedge between us. I can't live like that. I can't pretend that he is all great and wonderful and… and… perfect. Because he's not."

"Your father is a very respected and successful Elder of the People."

"That he may be, but that doesn't make him less of a jerk. And he is NOT my father."

"He has been there for me, for us, when we needed him. He gave us the life we were meant to live. And for that you owe him gratitude."

"I owe him nothing. And I can't understand why you can't see…" Zoey's eyes widened. That was it. Her father had left her mother years ago, had abandoned her and his children without a backward glance. Zoey herself had come to terms with that long ago. But her mother obviously hadn't. She needed security, and she would take it in any form, even that of an arrogant, overbearing jackass like John Heifer (somewhere in her mind another piece fell into place as she recalled the name). She had given up herself for protection against being alone. And Zoey realized she needed to let go of her desire for her mother back.

"I'm sorry, Mama," she said, just loud enough for her mother to hear. "I love you. And I understand now. But I can't come back with you. I have a new direction now, a new purpose." Her mother looked at her again, this time with sadness. But Zoey realized that she was beyond what her mother thought of her. Grief filled her as she watched her mother walk away from the bank, without looking back. Her tears fell into the lake, the ripples lapping lightly against her skin.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Heath's voice caused Zoey to look up. He was standing where her mother had been. "You had to let go. You had to realize that as much as you love her, she is her own person. And you are your own person." Zoey nodded, tears still flowing down her face. She pulled herself up out of the water, heedless of Heath watching her, and fisted her hands to stop the flow of tears. She was stronger than this.

"Where to now?" She asked Heath in a tight voice. He simply pointed, watching her with an expression she couldn't place. She headed in the direction he pointed, head high and braced to withstand anything else that might come.

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_I don't know how many people have ever read the story of Inanna's Descent Into the Underworld, but that is where my inspiration for this story has come from. The more I write, the more I realize that it may end up a lot different from what i had origianlly intended. Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I claim ownership only of the voices in my head.**

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Stark

Tears were leaking out of her eyes. What did it mean? What was going on? Stark had lost track of how long he had been lost in thinking over the different Gods and Goddesses and Heroes that had gone through what he suspected Zoey was going through right now. The more he remembered and the more he thought, the more he almost dreaded when she woke up. The beings that took those journeys usually came back with a vengeance.

It was with that thought that he had noticed the dampness on her cheeks. Standing up, he carefully wiped them away with his thumb, noticing how soft the skin was beneath his fingers. He still couldn't think of the shell lying before him as Zoey Redbird. His priestess was still somewhere that he couldn't follow. He hoped that she had found Heath and that he was helping her navigate her way back. Then he noticed something else.

He felt sadness, loss, acceptance and determination. They weren't his feelings, and they weren't very strong, but they were there. It was the first time since all this had happened that he had felt her. His face broke out into a huge smile as he sat back in his chair.

Just then, Darius came through the door and noted the brighter expression. "What is happening?" His voice was quiet, but it still startled the red vamp.

"I can feel her again." There was wonder in his voice, like that of a child finding there favorite toy again after thinking it lost. "Not very strong, it fades in and out, but she's there. She's making her way back."

"That is very good news. I'm sure everyone will be glad to hear that our Lady is going to be well. Perhaps now you can…"

"No, I'm not leaving. I have to guard this form until she makes it back. Leaving is not an option." Darius looked at him closely and then sighed, realizing that nothing he could say would sway the young Warrior. "I'll have one of the others bring you some synth-blood. You won't be much of a guard if you allow yourself to grow weak from hunger."

Stark nodded absently, his eyes still locked on the body before him. Her hands had twitched lightly, as if they had been trying to fist. Was she in danger? Or was she simply angry at something or someone? As the feelings he had so recently discovered began to fade out, he felt a new sense of helplessness at being unable to come to her aide when she needed him.

Zoey

She headed towards what appeared to be a forest, not even looking to see if Heath was behind her or not. She was determined to get this ordeal over and done with, so that she could get back to… back to… Urgh! Whatever it was she had been going to think, it eluded her now, frustrating her to no end. All that was left was the sense of urgency to finish what she had started here in order to return… somewhere. Lost within he own silent fuming, she failed to see that she had reached and entered the forest. It wasn't until she felt a sharp scratch across her bare arm that she became aware of her surroundings.

It was dark, the kind of dark when you knew there was light outside, but that it couldn't penetrate through to where you were. She felt a slight sense of unease, but pushed it away, concentrating on where she was and how she had gotten there. The branches seemed to cluster tighter together, pushing in on her. Her arms and legs were getting scratched badly, red marks forming where the rough tree bark scraped across bare skin. Then she heard whispers as a strong wind whistled through the trees.

_You must have thought we were completely pathetic._

"What?" The whispery voice was a familiar female's. Zoey looked for the speaker. "I never thought…"

_She's a lying slut._

That was a male. Anger started to course through Zoey. What was going on now? "I'm not a slut!"

_She used all of you just like she used me._

That was the same male voice, accusing and angry. The words came from Zoey before she had time to think. "I wasn't using you."

_You let us think that Stevie Rae was dead._

Another female voice, still familiar. Zoey flinched at the accusing tone. Before she could say anything, another male voice whipped by.

_How are we supposed to trust you if you keep things from us?_

_Twin, did you know we're totally untrustworthy?_

Zoey let out a scream of irritation. She'd already dealt with this. The Twins and Erik and Damien had already forgiven her when they understood what she did and why she did it (more pieces fell into place in Zoey's mind, but she was too upset to notice). What was going on now?

_Did you ever forgive yourself for thinking of them as jerks and too judgemental?_

The new voice shook Zoey. It was very familiar. It was her own. She hadn't forgiven herself. She hadn't forgiven herself for lying about Loren, for what she had done to Heath then. She hadn't forgiven herself for lying to the group, even if it had been for their own good. She hadn't truly forgiven Erik for calling her a slut and failing to get her side of the story.

The branches around her whipped harshly in the wind, slapping her skin and drawing blood with their stinging scratches. Zoey forced herself to continue walking through, not allowing herself to cry from the pain and guilt she felt. Suddenly, there was someone in front of her, a misty form that looked like the Hollywood version of a ghost. Blinking a couple times, she took in the half dressed form with black wings. Part of her thrilled at the sight, instantly recognizing the being and wanting to run to him.

She held back, unsure why, but knowing she had to deny her attraction to whomever this being was. It was difficult, the part of her that had recognized him was screaming to be let go. The wind picked up, the branches scratching and scraping even more.

_Do you pretend you do not know me?_

The voice seem to originate from the winged form in front of her, but it came to her from everywhere. It was rich and smooth, seductive. Zoey felt her control over herself begin to slip.

_You know me. Your soul knows me._

It was Kalona. The recognition hit her full force, causing her to stumble against the onslaught of wind and trees. "No," she whispered, suddenly afraid. "I'm not A-ya." The words were more for herself than Kalona.

_You're wrong, my love. I feel her within you._

"No! I'm not your love. I'm not A-ya." But something inside of her was determined to prove her wrong. She fought to keep it squelched, biting down on her lip, fisting her hands, concentrating on how evil she knew he was. Then she remembered something else.

"You killed Heath," her voice rose above the winds. "You killed him. You snapped his neck." She repeated it over and over, more for herself than him, but part of her still longed to go to him.

_I did it for us. I was jealous of his bond with you. I was wrong._

He looked like a little boy, sheepish and ashamed but still adorable. Zoey continued reciting the words to herself, trying to hold back her desire. The wind grew even stronger, the branches beating her as well as scratching her now. She bent over from the pain, both inside and out. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't fight.

Zoey laid down on the ground and let go. She cried over her guilt for thinking of her friends as jerks. She cried over her feelings of betrayal from Erik. She cried for having had to lie to her friends. When she finished crying, she realized that the wind had lessened some, the branches a little less dense. She sat up and looked around. She had been mad at her friends before, and she realized that they weren't perfect. She knew that she had to hide things from them so that Neferet and others couldn't find out what she knew before she could handle it.

And Erik… well, he had always been the possessive type. Aphrodite had even warned her. She might like him, might wish things were different, but that was how he always would be. And she, for whatever reason, would always love both Stark and Heath. There was nothing wrong with that, because all three had been agreed on it. It was hard at times, but they made it work.

The wind slowed to a light breeze, but the branches still lashed out, causing welts on her already abused skin. Kalona still stood there, watching her. She still felt the desire to go to him, to be with him, to give herself over to him. And instead of fighting it, instead of trying to repress it, she let it out.

"I want you. I've wanted you since you rose from the ground. I've desired you in my dreams and out. I want nothing more than to give myself to you right now." She stood up, still watching him. "I remember what it was like to hold you in my arms, to have you become a part of me as we spent an eternity in the earth. I want that again, to know that you are mine and only mine forever."

He held up a hand to her, beckoning her to join him. She shook her head. "I can't. I have too much to do, and you will stop me. I may love you, I may desire you. I acknowledge that now. I won't fight it. But I don't have to choose it. I have something A-ya didn't. I have free will." With that, the ghost that was Kalona disappeared, and Zoey saw the branches of the trees around her untwist, giving her a clear path out. The light streamed down onto the path ahead of her, and Zoey felt her injuries disappear.

She then realized she had passed another test. She had faced her darkest self and accepted it. She had quit fighting the darkness within her and had instead chosen to see it as just another part of her. She stepped out from among the trees to see Heath waiting for her. She smiled at him and said simply "I'm ready to go home."

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_Please read and review. I've pretty much figured out the rest of the storyline now, but trying to jugglethis with college and a 2 year old is difficult. If I don't think anyone's reading, I'm not going to continue._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own EVERYTHING!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!**

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Zoey

She held out her hand to Heath, and he took it in his, smiling at her with a swirl of emotions in his face. Love shown through them all, however, and Zoey was glad that, since she had to go through this, Heath had been there with her. He tugged lightly on her hand, and she followed him back towards the lake where she first saw him.

As they walked, however, Zoey noticed the ground getting boggier. It sucked at her feet, making it hard for her to take the next step. She struggled, holding on to Heath as she pulled herself forward through the squelching mud. A fog began to descend, adding more difficulty. She struggled along, barely able to see, the swampy ground pulling at her harder.

Suddenly she fell, and her hand dropped from Heath's as she tried to catch herself. Covered in cold, wet mud, she pushed herself back up. She couldn't see anything around her. "Heath," she called out, but the thick fog swallowed up the sound and swirled it away. She got up and tried to take a step, but realized that she had sunk up to her ankles in the mud. She couldn't move. "HEATH," she called louder, but still the sound was swallowed.

Suddenly, she saw a movement in the swirling fog. Someone was walking towards her. Relief swept through her until she realized that it wasn't Heath. She knew this person, though. She knew them very well… the deep red hair, the flashing emerald eyes. And those great boobs Zoey still envied, even now. Neferet.

Neferet stopped a couple feet from where Zoey was stuck in the mud. Her haughty expression and cruel smile made Zoey's hand itch to try and slap it off of her. She looked down and realized that Neferet wasn't sinking into the swampy mess like she was. On top of that, her long sapphire gown and silver high-heeled sandals hadn't a flake of dirt on them. How was that even fair?

Neferet's smile grew as she watched her former charge struggle with the boggy ground. "You shouldn't even bother," she said, her voice smooth with a hint of cruel delight. "You can't handle what's coming, what's happening. You couldn't even stop your human blood donor from being killed."

Zoey looked up at Neferet then, opening her mouth to reply, but something blocked her throat, causing her to go into a coughing fit.

"Look at you, you're pathetic. You can't even get yourself out of a mud hole. The great and wonderful Zoey Redbird brought to her knees by a simple combination of dirt and water. What would your cohorts think of you now? Would you still be their fearless leader?" The coughing got worse as Zoey began to struggle against the hold the ground had on her. Fear began seeping into her.

"Did you really think you were cut out to be a High Priestess? Really? You may have been a remarkable fledgling, with a unique Mark, but what did that amount to in the end? Nothing. People are still dead by my hand. People will continue to die by my hand. And you can't stop me. You're too weak, too unsure. You can't make the decisions you know need to be made. You won't fight to take the power offered to you. You won't even fight to save yourself from a hole in the mud." She laughed then, an evil sound that echoed against the dense wall of fog.

The coughing still hadn't let up, and Zoey could feel a wetness to it that had nothing to do with the damp air around her. She began getting lightheaded, and thrashed wildly against the mud that still held her captive. She had sunk up to her calves now, the coldness seeping into her bare skin. _Nyx_, she thought. _Please help me._

"I thought you would be the one. The one to help me make up for my wasted time with that mistake that was Aphrodite. But you were worse. At least Aphrodite understood what power meant. She strived to hold it, to control it. She wanted more, thrived on it, like I. You, however, you didn't even want what you had. You scorned your gifts, underplayed that which made you great. Is it any wonder the Goddess turned her back on you? She gave you a task to complete, and you were too weak to finish it. And now, because of Her mistake, my Consort and I will be in charge. Those stupid humans, milling about like lice, will be forced to recognize our superiority." She leaned down then, looking Zoey straight in the eyes, only inches away. "And where will you be, Zoey Redbird? Buried in a mud hole, too weak to climb out. Forgotten." She stood up, laughed another evil laugh, and strode away, disappearing.

Zoey was still coughing, and she could see the blood that began to come with each one. Her frantic pleas to the Goddess went unheeded. She began to wonder if Neferet was right. Had she been to weak with Nyx's gifts? Had Her favor been taken from her? She had been too weak to stop Kalona before, only banishing him to wreak havoc on another part of the world. She hadn't been able to save Shekinah, or even Loren Blake and Professor Nolan. She hadn't been able to save the ones who had fought with the raven mockers at her House of Night. She hadn't been able to save Heath.

The Goddess _had_ made a mistake when she chose her. She had known that from the start. She wasn't anything special, just a girl that hated her step-father and lied to her friends. She didn't deserve the gifts that Nyx had given her. She didn't even use them, scared of their power. Lost in her thoughts, wracked by coughing, she didn't notice as she continued sinking into the ground.

Heath

He knew it was coming. The final confrontation. The one that would determine if Zoey was going home or if she would stay forever in the Otherworld. He loved his girl, but the world needed her. She had to go back, to finish what Nyx had set to her.

He almost screamed in frustration. He couldn't do anything to help her, to save her. She had to figure that out on her own. He could feel her despair, her fear. He knew she hurt. He wanted nothing more than to comfort her, give her his strength, his love. He had to believe she was strong enough to overcome this.

He watched as the figure of Neferet exited the fog and vanished. It was now up to Zoey. This was no fight against someone else. This was much harder, much more difficult to overcome. This was the fight against herself. Against her own doubts and fears. This was the fight that could cost her her life.

Heath sat back down on the shore of the lake and watched the fog swirling. _Come on, babe. You can pull through this. Then you can go home. _Trying to send her his love through the bond they still shared, he sat and waited.

Stark

The awful feeling he had felt only once before came over him, causing him to cry out in alarm. The feel of his lungs filling, the lightheadedness, the nausea, all of it crashed down on him. _No, _he thought, same as before. _Please no. I just found her, I don't want to lose her. Not like this. _Somewhere, dimly, he realized that this was not his body, but someone else's. Someone much more important. Someone much more precious.

He rushed over to the body that was on the infirmary table. The breathing was still shallow but untroubled, the heart beat still steady. But something was happening to his Zoey, something terrible. And he couldn't do anything about it, couldn't do anything to stop it. _Nyx, please. I will give you my own life, anything you ask of me. Just please, help her. _He held the hand of the shell on the table, and tried his best to send all of his strength and love to the one he had pledged his heart to.

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_Sorry it took me so long to update, but my son and then myself came down with a bout of the flu. Thank you to everyone so far that has reviewed. It's nice to know that my efforts are appreciated. Hopefully I'll be able to update more regularly now, but we all know what happens to good intentions....._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: If I really did own it, do you think that I'd be putting it on here for free?  
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Zoey

The coughing continued, great wracking hacks that spurted blood and phlegm. She could feel the liquid in her lungs, feel a sense of nausea and dizziness. She could feel the cold mud sucking her down into the darkness of the earth. And she didn't care. Not anymore. She wasn't worth the effort it would take to try to free herself. She was a mistake, a burden to her parents, a danger magnet that hurt her friends and family. Neferet had been right. She would be forgotten, buried in a boggy marsh, where no one would even bother to look for her.

She just wished that she could have said goodbye to Stark. Even he had been angry with her for her disregard of his feelings. But it would have been nice to have at least said she was sorry. Still, he would be better off now, without having to worry about sharing her with another. He could find another now, one that wouldn't put him through an emotional ringer every time something major went down.

Heath. He never should have factored into this new life. He shouldn't have even been with her in Italy. She should have stood her ground, made him stay with his parents. He would have been safe. He would still be alive. He could have had a real girlfriend to take care of him, not one that wanted to suck his blood all the time.

Thinking of the two of them, she didn't pay attention at first to the fact that her coughing had lessened some. Yet, the more she thought about them, the less she felt her body shake. The less she felt of the cold. She concentrated on each of them, replaying conversations in her mind, little moments they had shared. She breathed easier, clearer. The dizziness faded and the nausea receded.

She realized she had stopped sinking. Did she want to sink? Did she really want to slide into oblivion and lose any chance she had to see either Stark or Heath ever again? Just the thought of their names filled her with warmth. They loved her and she them. Could she really turn her back on that?

She began to fight, thrashing against the mud with everything she had. She had to get out, had to get to them. She had to save herself so she could save them.

Heath

He felt the flood of determination and will go through his girl and sighed in relief. She wasn't going to give up. She wasn't going to allow herself to be pulled down by doubt and insecurity. _Good job, babe, _he thought.

He wished he could help. He wished he could walk into that swirling mass of fog and pull her out and into his arms. But she still had to do this alone, no matter the consequences. Only she knew the key to her own psyche, the trigger to her own inner strength. She had to be the one to access it and use it to get her through.

He really didn't understand the part he played in this. He had been told that he would be her guide, that he would be responsible for pulling her through this ordeal and getting her home. But he had been commanded to do nothing to aid her in any way, simply to show her the path onto which she was to turn. But Zoey would have done that on her own. Not that he minded helping out his girl however he could, he felt a bit superfluous (oh yeah, his vocabulary had increased in the Otherworld. Too bad Damien wasn't here, he knew he could give him a run for his money now). He watched the fog still, sending into his love and support, waiting.

And never knowing how big the part he was playing in the turmoil within.

Stark

The liquid in her lungs was gone. He no longer felt like vomiting, either. His first reaction was panic. Had she died truthfully? Then he realized he could still feel her, could feel a stubborn strength of will infuse her. He grinned. Oh yeah, his girl was going to be just fine.

Suddenly, he felt another set of emotions very similar to his own. Curious, he focused in on them closely. There was pride there directed towards someone or something else. There was a determination. There was a bit of sadness, and a feeling of otherworldly wisdom. There was a thread of needless-ness , as if the person thought themselves useless to the situation. But the love overrode anything, and Stark suddenly knew whose emotions he shared.

Heath had come to Zoey's aid, and Stark knew without a doubt that he was helping her get home.

Heath

The second set of emotions swirled into him, almost tangible (he had actually known that one before he died). He knew without knowing how that they were Stark's feelings, that he was feeling them now along with Zoey. But he didn't know why. Still, he could feel the other guy's love through the bond, and it added to his as they sent it to their girl.

Zoey

She was tired. All that fighting and struggling and she hadn't moved one inch closer to getting herself out of the hole she was in. She was no longer coughing, no longer sick and she was no longer sinking. But she was stuck. And it seriously sucked.

Thoughts of Stark and Heath had warmed her and healed her. The memories she had of them had broken her descent into doubt. After all, if she was as bad as she had thought, why would the two most amazing guys ever have fallen for her? Conceited, maybe. But it was the truth, and the surge of love from both of them confirmed it.

* * *

_I'm updating as fast as I can, but although I know where I'm going with this, the actual writing it out is a hit or miss deal. I'll keep going until it is finished, it just might take me a bit. Please review! It motivates me *wink wink*  
_


	6. Author's Note

**A/N**

**I know it has been a while since I've updated... and unfortunately it will be awhile longer. Due to a recent death in the family, I haven't had much time for extra curriculars. I am continuing to write the story out, and when I get the time to type it, I'm hoping to go ahead and publish it here completed in one fell swoop. Until then, please bear with me. Anyone who may wish to take the story that is already here and expand upon it in their own way is free to do so.**

**My apologies to my readers that I have been unable to finish this as quickly and smoothly as I had hoped. It will be finished, just give me time.**

**Thank you to all that are reading!!!!!!**

**MuffyLoo  
**


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